I absolutely love Christmas, always have since I was kid. I love being around my family and spending time with my family. Family is everything to me. But Christmas has not been the same since 2010. Beforehand we always held it at wherever it was, most of the time at my aunt and uncle's house in Florence. But I most of all love Christmas for the happy atmosphere, the smell of floral candles and that once in a blue moon that there is snow on the ground. A White Christmas is such a beautiful sight! I have only seen it a few times and I admire how the snow sparkles on the ground. Beautiful.
December 2010 was a rough one. Christmas eve 2010, I was half way through my junior year of high school. My grandfather had gull-bladder surgery that Christmas eve. My brother who was half way through his senior year of high school and signed up with the Army reserves stayed in Williamstown with my grandmother so she wouldn't be alone. We didn't celebrate Christmas as a full family that year, instead we all celebrated a late Christmas in February 2011, and was thankful that my grandfather had a successful surgery. But every Christmas since 2010 has not been the same. June 11, 2011 my brother graduated high school, we were supposed to have time with him until the end of June, early July. June 25, 2011 he was called up to go to boot camp. The only communication we had was writing letters. He got to come home for two weeks leave in November 2011, which means he was home for Thanksgiving, we all had Thanksgiving as a family at my house. And, it by far was the best holiday feeling ever to have my brother home again for the holidays. But he wouldn't be home for Christmas.
Christmas 2011 we didn't put the tree up my house, my sister and I didn't feel right putting the tree up without our brother there, we still celebrated as a family, but without the tree. However we did put it up for Christmas 2012, but he was still stationed in South Korea for Christmas. It hasn't felt right since 2011. He serves in our nation's Army, and that is an honorable thing, and I am thankful to have such a close member of the family sacrifice his time and effort to make sure his family has somewhere to call home.
Everyone always asks me the usual, "What do you want for Christmas?" The answer is always the same, I want my brother to be home on leave to celebrate Christmas with the family. Well, just a few months ago I found out that my brother is scheduled to go on leave Thanksgiving this year and he just may be home for Christmas this year. It is not set in stone, but I pray every night that it happens, that would be the best thing ever to see my brother home on Christmas day.
* And thank you to all who serve in any branch of the military.
No comments:
Post a Comment